of  tfje  Boarli  of 
jToretgn  Mis¬ 
sions  of  tfje 
ijjterfan  C|)urc|) 
m  t|)e  m,  91. 

Revised  and  Adopted  by  the  Board 


toil 


156  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York  City 


BY-LAWS 


OF  THE 

Board  of  Foreign  Missions 


OF  THE 

Presbyterian  Church  in  the  U.  S.  A. 


Adopted  by  the  Board  June  6th,  1 904 
Revised  to  May,  1911 


191 1 


CHARTER. 

Charter  granted  by  the  State  of  New  York,  April  12th,  1862. 


(Laws  of  1862,  Chap.  187.) 

Aif  Act  to  Incorporate  the  Board  of  Foreign  Missions  of 
THE  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  United  States  of 
America. 

Passed  April  12th,  1862,  Chapter  187. 

The  People  of  the  State  of  New  York,  represented  in  Senate  and 
Assembly,  do  enact  as  follows: 

Section  1. — Walter  Lowrie,  Gardner  Spring,  William  W. 
Phillips,  George  Potts,  William  Barnard,  John  D.  Wells,  Nathan 
L.  Rice,  Robert  L.  Stuart,  Lebbeus  B.  Ward,  Robert  Carter, 
John  C.  Lowrie,  citizens  of  the  State  of  New  York,  and  such 
others  as  they  may  associate  with  themselves,  are  hereby  con¬ 
stituted  a  body  corporate  and  politic  forever,  by  the  name  of 
The  Board  of  Foreign  Missions  of  the  Presbyterian  Church 
IN  THE  United  States  of  America,  for  the  purpose  of  estab¬ 
lishing  and  conducting  Christian  Missions  among  the  unevangel¬ 
ized  or  Pagan  nations,  and  the  general  diffusion  of  Christianity; 
and  by  that  name  they  and  their  successors  and  associates  shall 
be  capable  of  taking  by  purchase,  grant,  devise  or  otherwise, 
holding,  conveying  or  otherwise  disposing  of  any  real  or  personal 
estate  for  the  purposes  of  the  said  corporation,  but  which  estate 
within  this  State  shall  not  at  any  time  exceed  the  annual  income 
of  twenty  thousand  dollars. 

Section  2. — The  said  corporation  shall  possess  the  general 
powers,  rights  and  privileges,  and  be  subject  to  liabilities  and 
provisions  contained  in  the  eighteenth  chapter  of  the  first  part 
of  the  Revised  Statutes,  so  far  as  the  same  is  applicable,  and 
also  subject  to  the  provisions  of  chapter  three  hundred  and  sixty 
of  the  laws  of  eighteen  hundred  and  sixty. 

Section  3. — This  act  shall  take  effect  immediately. 

Laws  of  1894,  Chapter  326. 

An  Act  to  Amend  Chapter  One  Hundred  and  Eighty-seven 
OF  THE  Laws  of  Eighteen  Hundred  and  Sixty-two,  En¬ 
titled,  “An  Act  to  Incorporate  the  Board  of  Foreign 
Missions  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  United 
States  of  America,^^  and  to  Regulate  the  Number  of 
Trustees. 

Became  a  Law,  April  19,  1894,  with  the  approval  of  the  Governor; 
passed,  three-fifths  being  present. 

The  People  of  the  State  of  New  York,  represented  in  Senate  and 
Assembly',  do  enact  as  follows: 

Section  1. — Section  three  of  chapter  one  hundred  and  eighty- 
seven  of  the  laws  of  eighteen  hundred  and  sixty-two,  entitled. 


“An  Act  to  incorporate  the  Board  of  Foreign  Missions  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church  of  the  United  States  of  America,”  is  hereby 
amended  to  read  as  follows: 

Section  2. — “  The  management  and  disposition  of  the 
“  aifairs  and  property  of  the  said  Board  of  Foreign  Missions 
“  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  United  States  of  Amer- 
“  ica  shall  be  vested  in  twenty-one  Trustees,  who  shall  be  ap- 
“  pointed  from  time  to  time  by  the  General  Assembly  of  the 
“  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  United  States  of  America  for 
“  such  terms  as  the  Assembly  may  determine.  But  the  number 
“  of  such  Trustees  may  be  increased  or  decreased  at  any  time 
“  by  the  said  General  Assembly,  and  in  case  of  an  increase 
“  the  additional  Trustees  shall  be  appointed  by  such  General 
“  Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  United  States 
“of  America;  provided,  however,  that  the  members  of  the 
“  Board,  as  at  present  constituted,  shall  continue  to  hold  office 
“  until  their  successors  have  been  appointed  by  the  General 
“  Assembly.  Not  less  than  eleven  members  of  the  Board  shall 
“  constitute  a  quorum  for  the  purpose  of  electing  officers, 
“  making  by-laws,  or  for  holding  any  special  meeting ;  but  for 
“  all  other  purposes,  and  at  stated  meetings,  five  shall  be  a 
“  quorum.” 

Section  3. — This  Act  shall  take  effect  immediately. 

Laws  of  1900,  Chapter  136. 

An  Act  to  Amend  Chapter  One  Hundred  and  Eighty-seven 
OF  THE  Laws  of  Eighteen  Hundred  and  Sixty-two,  En¬ 
titled,  “An  Act  to  Incorporate  the  Board  of  Foreign 
Missions  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  United 
States  of  America,”  As  Amended  by  Chapter  Three  Hun¬ 
dred  AND  Twenty-six  of  the  Laws  of  Eighteen  Hundred 
AND  Ninety-four. 

Became  a  Law  March  15th,  1900,  with  the  approval  of  the  Gov¬ 
ernor;  passed,  a  majority  being  present. 

The  People  of  the  State  of  New  York,  represented  in  Senate  and 
Assembly,  do  enact  as  follows: 

Section  1. — Section  three  of  chapter  one  hundred  and  eighty- 
seven  of  the  laws  of  eighteen  hundred  and  sixty-two,  entitled, 
“An  Act  to  incorporate  the  Board  of  Foreign  Missions  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church  in  the  United  States  of  America,”  as  amended 
by  chapter  three  hundred  and  twenty-six  of  the  laws  of  eighteen 
hundred  and  ninety-four,  is  further  amended  so  as  to  read  as 
follows : 

Section  2. — “The  management  and  disposition  of  the 
“  affairs  and  property  of  the  said  Board  of  Foreign  Missions 
“  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  United  States  of  America 
“  shall  be  vested  in  twenty-one  Trustees,  who  shall  be  appointed 
“  from  time  to  time  by  the  General  Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian 
“  Church  in  the  United  States  of  America  for  such  terms  as 


“  the  Assembly  may  determine.  But  the  number  of  such 
“  Trustees  may  be  increased  or  decreased  at  any  time  by  the 
“  said  General  Assembly,  and  in  case  of  an  increase  the  ad- 
“  ditional  Trustees  shall  be  appointed  by  such  General  Assembly 
“of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  United  States  of  America; 
“  provided,  however,  that  the  members  of  the  Board,  as  at 
“  present  constituted,  shall  continue  to  hold  office  until  their 
“  successors  have  been  appointed  by  the  General  Assembly. 
“  Not  less  than  eleven  members  of  the  Board  shall  constitute 
“  a  quorum  for  the  purpose  of  electing  officers,  making  by-laws, 
“  or  for  holding  any  special  meetings,  but  for  all  other  purposes, 
“  and  at  stated  meetings,  five  shall  be  a  quorum.  All  the  busi- 
“  ness  of  the  said  corporation  shall  be  conducted  by  the  Board 
“  under  and  subject  to  the  direction  of  the  said  General  As- 
“  sembly,  so  far  as  such  direction  shall  be  in  accordance  with 
“  the  laws  of  the  State  of  New  York  and  of  the  United  States 
“  of  America.” 

Section  3. — This  Act  shall  take  effect  immediately. 

“The  General  Corporation  Law”  of  New  York,  as  amended  in 
1909; 

Section  12. — “If  any  general  or  special  law  heretofore 
“passed,  or  any  certificate  of  incorporation,  shall  limit  the 
“  amount  of  property  a  corporation  other  than  a  stock  corpora- 
“  tion  may  take  or  hold,  such  corporation  may  take  and  hold 
“  property  of  the  value  of  six  million  dollars  or  less,  or  the  yearly 
“  income  derived  from  which  shall  be  six  hundred  thousand  dol- 
“  lars  or  less,  notwithstanding  any  such  limitations.  In  computing 
“  the  value  of  such  property,  no  increase  in  value  arising  other- 
“  wise  than  from  improvements  made  thereon  shall  be  taken 
“  into  account.” 


BY-LAWS. 


ARTICLE  I. 

The  stated  meetings  of  the  Board  shall  be  held  on  the  first 
and  third  INTondays  of  each  month,  and,  in  accordance  with  the 
Charter,  “not  less  than  eleven  members  of  the  Board  shall  con¬ 
stitute  a  quorum  for  the  purpose  of  electing  officers,  making 
by-laws,  or  for  holding  any  special  meeting;  but  for  all  other 
purposes,  and  at  stated  meetings,  five  shall  be  a  quorum.”  When 
the  first  or  third  Monday  of  any  month  is  a  legal  holiday,  or  is 
the  day  of  meeting  of  the  New  York  Presbytery,  the  meeting  of 
the  Board  shall  be  on  the  following  Tuesday. 

ARTICLE  II. 

No  person  shall  be  nominated  to  the  General  Assembly  for 
election  to  membership  in  the  Board  until  his  name  shall  have 


been  before  the  Board  for  consideration  for  at  least  two  weeks. 
Members  of  the  Board  shall  be  informed  by  special  notice  what 
names  are  proposed  and  when  the  vote  is  to  be  taken. 

ARTICLE  III. 

The  annual  meeting  shall  be  the  first  stated  meeting  in  June 
of  each  year,  when  the  Board  shall  elect,  by  ballot,  if  demanded 
by  any  member,  a  President,  Vice-President,  Secretaries  and 
Treasurer,  and  shall  appoint  the  Standing  Committees  for  the 
year. 

ARTICLE  IV. 

The  President,  or,  in  his  absence,  the  Vice-President,  shall 
preside  at  the  meetings  of  the  Board;  or,  in  the  absence  of  both, 
a  President  pro  tern,  may  be  chosen.  Special  meetings  may  be 
called  by  the  President,  or,  in  his  absence,  by  the  Vice-President, 
upon  the  written  request  of  two  members  of  the  Board,  or  by 
the  Executive  Council,  as  occasion  shall  require. 

ARTICLE  V. 

The  Secretaries  shall  conduct  the  administrative  correspond¬ 
ence  with  the  missions  and  with  the  auxiliaries  of  the  Board; 
propose  appropriations,  present  the  claims  of  Foreign  Missions 
before  the  judicatories  of  the  Church,  as  occasion  shall  require, 
and  otherwise  as  may  be  possible;  develop  the  interest  and 
beneficence  of  the  Church;  select  candidates  for  appointment 
as  missionaries;  visit  missions  as  the  Board  may  direct;  keep  a 
record  of  the  proceedings  of  the  Board;  file  and  preserve  all 
important  papers,  except  such  as  belong  to  the  Treasurer’s  de¬ 
partment;  issue  notices  to  members  of  all  meetings  of  the  Board; 
take  charge  of  the  library,  and  do  whatever  else  may  properly 
belond  to  the  office  of  Secretary. 

The  Secretaries  shall  distribute  among  themselves  the  work 
properly  belonging  to  the  Secretarial  department,  such  arrange¬ 
ment  as  they  may  make  to  be  subject  to  the  revision  of  the  Board. 

ARTICLE  VI. 

The  Treasurer  shall  receive  all  moneys  belonging  to  the  Board, 
and  receipt  therefor,  and  deposit  or  disburse  them  in  such  manner 
as  the  Board  (or  in  case  of  need  the  Finance  Committee)  shall 
direct ;  shall  conduct  such  correspondence  as  properly  belongs 
to  the  Treasurer’s  department;  shall  report  to  the  Board  the 
state  of  the  finances  at  the  first  stated  meeting  of  each  month, 
or  oftener  if  required,  and  shall  have  custody  of  the  corporate 
seal. 

He  shall  give  bonds  in  such  sum  as  the  Board  may  determine. 

The  Chairman  of  the  Finance  Committee  shall  be  the  custodian 
of  the  said  bond,  and  upon  the  retirement  of  the  Treasurer  from 
office  shall  cause  an  immediate  auditing  of  his  accounts  by  the 
Auditors  of  the  Board,  and,  if  found  correct,  he  shall  surrender 
said  bond  to  the  retiring  Treasurer  or  his  legal  representative. 


The  Treasurer  shall  act  as  the  Secretary  of  the  Finance  Com¬ 
mittee,  and  shall  keep  full  minutes  of  the  proceedings  of  the 
Committee.  Under  the  supervision  of  the  Finance  Committee  he 
shall  have  the  custody  of  the  securities  and  property  belonging  to 
the  Board. 

ARTICLE  VII. 

The  Secretaries  and  Treasurer  shall  constitute  what  shall  be 
known  as  the  Executive  Council,  and  shall  hold  one  or  more  con¬ 
ferences  before  each  stated  meeting  of  the  Board  to  prepare  the 
docket.  The  Council  shall  be  expected  to  formulate  and  submit 
an  opinion  on  the  items  of  business  to  be  presented  to  the  Board. 
In  case  of  diflPerence  of  opinion  on  any  matter  submitted,  the 
Board,  at  its  discretion,  may  refer  it  to  a  committee,  or  again  to 
the  Council. 

The  Secretaries  shall  hold  one  or  more  meetings  before  each 
regular  meeting  of  the  Board,  at  which  they  may  act  upon 
matters  properly  belonging  to  their  spheres  only,  which  matters 
shall  come  before  the  Board  on  their  recommendation.  The 
Treasurer  may,  if  necessary,  call  a  meeting  of  the  Finance  Com¬ 
mittee  before  each  Board  meeting  for  the  consideration  of  ques- 
‘tions  belonging  to  the  sphere  of  the  Committee,  and  the  conclusions 
reached  shall  be  brought  to  the  Board  either  by  the  Treasurer 
or  in  the  report  of  the  Committee,  as  they  shall  prefer.  There 
shall  be  also  one  or  more  meetings  of  the  full  Council  before 
each  Board  meeting,  which  shall  consider  and  report  upon  such 
questions  as  are  both  financial  and  general,  and  it  shall  be  com¬ 
petent  for  the  Secretaries  on  the  one  hand,  and  the  Treasurer 
on  the  other,  to  determine  what  questions  arising  in  their 
respective  spheres  shall  come  before  full  Council.  It  shall  be 
competent  for  the  Finance  Committee,  with  the  Treasurer,  to 
agree  upon  matters  of  minor  importance  by  correspondence  if 
desired,  or  they  may  leave  certain  measures  of  responsibility  to 
the  Treasurer  alone  in  questions  which  may  come  clearly  under 
the  By-Laws,  the  provisions  of  the  Manual,  or  the  general  ap¬ 
propriations  for  the  year’s  expenses. 

ARTICLE  VIII. 

In  addition  to  the  Secretaries  and  Treasurer  whose  duties  have 
been  suggested  and  who  shall  constitute  the  Executive  Council, 
the  Board  may  from  time  to  time,  and  for  such  period  as  it  may 
deem  wise,  engage  other  agents  for  special  work,  either  tempo¬ 
rary  or  permanent  in  its  character.  The  duties  and  responsibilities 
of  such  agents  shall  be  such  as  the  Board  may  specially  define. 

ARTICLE  IX. 

The  Finance  Committee  shall  consist  of  five  members.  At 
the  close  of  each  fiscal  year,  in  conjunction  with  the  Executive 
Council,  the  Committee  shall  estimate  the  probable  receipts  of 
the  ensuing  fiscal  year;  and,  after  a  careful  examination  of  the 
estimates  received  from  these  several  missions,  shall  recommend 


to  the  Board,  for  its  action,  the  appropriations  for  the  year. 
They  shall  have  supervision  of  the  Treasurer  and  the  Treasury 
Department.  They  shall  have  oversight  of  the  receipts  of  the 
Board  and  of  the  expenditures  of  the  Board’s  appropriations, 
and  of  matters  relating  to  estates,  property  and  legal  questions; 
their  actions  and  recommendations  shall  be  presented  in  a  written 
report  to  the  Board  at  the  ensuing  meeting.  In  cases  of  emergency 
falling  within  their  province,  and  calling  for  action  before  the 
next  meeting  of  the  Board,  the  Committee  is  authorized  to  act 
in  the  name  and  in  behalf  of  the  Board,  such  actions  to  relate 
chiefly  to  the  acceptance  of  service  by  the  Treasurer  of  legal 
processes,  the  waiving  of  citations,  and  the  receipt,  releases 
and  granting  of  refunding  bonds  in  the  settlement  of  estates. 

The  Committee  shall  recommend  to  the  Board,  from  time  to 
time,  a  firm  of  Chartered  Public  Accountants  of  recognized 
ability  and  reputation,  who  shall  audit  thoroughly  the  accounts 
of  the  Treasurer,  and  whose  report  shall  comprise  a  part  of  the 
Board’s  financial  report  to  the  General  Assembly. 

The  Finance  Committee  shall  have  supervision  of  the  Treasurer 
in  the  custody  of  the  securities  and  property  belonging  to  the 
Board. 

ARTICLE  X. 

The  Home  Department  Committee  shall  consist  of  five  mem¬ 
bers,  and  shall  have  charge  of  the  work  of  developing  the  interest 
and  benficence  of  the  Home  Church.  It  shall  have  a  regular 
monthly  meeting,  and  shall  have  general  supervision  under  the 
Board  of  the  work  of  missionary  education  and  organization  in 
the  Home  Church.  When  one  of  the  Secretaries  of  the  Board 
is  assigned  distinctively  to  the  Home  Department  work,  he  shall 
act  as  Secretary  of  the  Home  Department  Committee. 

ARTICLE  XI. 

The  House  Committee  shall  consist  of  three  members  of  the 
Board  and  the  Treasurer.  They  shall  have  charge  of  that  portion 
of  the  Mission  House  occupied  by  this  Board,  with  discretionary 
powers  in  matters  of  furniture  and  repairs,  any  actions  taken 
to  be  reported  to  the  Board;  and  jointly  with  the  Home  Board, 
or  a  committee  thereof,  shall  have  charge  of  such  portion  of  the 
building  as  is  not  occupied  by  either  of  the  said  Boards,  with 
authority  to  rent  upon  such  terms  and  for  such  purposes  as  the 
Board  shall  approve. 

ARTICLE  XH. 

The  Committee  on  Clerical  Force  shall  consist  of  three  mem¬ 
bers,  and  engagements  of  necessary  clerical  assistance  shall  be, 
with  their  advice,  duly  reported  to  the  Board. 

ARTICLE  XHI. 

The  committees  on  the  Several  Mission  Fields  shall  ordinarily 
consist  of  four  members  each.  They  shall  take  cognizance  of 


such  matters  as  may  be  referred  to  them  by  the  Board,  and  such 
as  may  be  brought  before  them  by  the  Council  or  the  Secretary 
in  charge.  They  may  also,  on  their  own  motion,  bring  to  the 
attention  of  the  Executive  Council  of  the  Board  any  matters 
connected  with  their  respective  fields,  which,  in  their  judgment, 
require  consideration. 

On  all  matters  referred  to  them  by  the  Board  these  committees 
shall  report  directly  to  the  Board.  When  questions  are  brought 
before  them  by  the  Council,  or  by  the  Secretary  in  charge,  they 
shall  make  report  to  the  Board  only  after  the  conclusions  of  the 
Committee  shall  be  first  submitted  to  the  Council. 

ARTICLE  XIV. 

The  President  of  the  Board  as  Chairman  {ex-oj^cio)  and  the 
Chairmen  of  the  Mission  Fields  Committees,  shall  constitute  the 
Committee  on  Policy  and  Methods,  to  which  may  be  referred 
questions  of  general  missionary  policy.  The  Secretary  who  acts 
as  Recording  Secretary  of  the  Board  shall  act  as  Secretary  of 
this  Committee. 

ARTICLE  XV. 

The  order  of  business  shall  be  as  follows: 

1st.  Prayer. 

2d,  Reading  of  Minutes. 

3d.  Unfinished  Business. 

4th.  General  List  of  Recommendations. 

5th.  Report  and  Docket  of  Treasurer. 

6th.  First  Secretarial  Docket. 

7th.  Report  of  Finance  Committee. 

8th.  Dockets  of  other  Secretaries. 

9th.  New  Business. 

10th.  Report  of  House  Committee. 

11th.  Report  of  Committee  on  Clerical  Force. 

12th.  Report  of  Special  Committees. 

ARTICLE  XVI. 

In  laying  their  business  before  the  Board,  the  Secretaries  shall 
present  their  dockets  in  rotation,  with  the  understanding  that 
after  the  first  Secretarial  docket  at  each  meeting,  the  Finance 
Committee  shall  present  its  report. 

Where  the  question  at  issue  involves  no  new  principle  or  new 
interpretation  of  some  old  principle,  the  Council  is  instructed  to 
place  its  recommendations  on  the  General  List  of  Recommenda¬ 
tions.  Where  some  large  appropriation  is  involved,  it  may  be 
expedient  to  place  the  item  on  the  Secretarial  docket,  the  Council 
to  exercise  its  judgment  in  the  matter. 

ARTICLE  XVII. 

These  By-Laws  shall  not  be  amended  except  by  a  vote  of  two- 
thirds  of  the  members  present,  notice  having  been  given  at  a 
previous  meeting. 


TII  i;  WIl-LIAM  DARLING  PRESS 
NEW  YORK 


Form  1593 


